Glass Wall Architecture for High Voltage Indoor Substation

Glass walls are probably better insulation than concrete walls.

Glass walls can be seen through.

Other than expense, I don't know of disadvantages.

This sounds pretty neat to me.

Don't know about technical. I have seen the damage done by short circuit of gear. Would like to know that the glass would be able to with stand some type of explosion. Or it may send shards of glass out as projectiles if such a mishap should happen. Concrete would be better containment of such a mishap.

You give no info on the type of curtain wall that they wish to use.

You may be interested in this. You have to do the free registration to read the whole article, but it looks worthwhile.

http://www.glassfiles.com/library/17/article329.htm

Toughened glass can be stronger than concrete. So OK go for it, but given the expense, why?

hi

Its not usual to a substation to use glass as a wall.it needs ventilation and cables comes inside.

Whereas glass does have it eye pleasing qualities in the home or office, the application you ask about seems to be very much over the top for a "run of the mill" sub-station, but if you have the money, why not!

Is this substation going to be a feature within another building with a constant stream of people walking past it, hence the need to use glass as a "make-over"?

If so I would suggest if possible re-locating the sub-station AWAY from pedestrians

You also remembered the thermal qualities of glass. I see you said this substation would be indoors.... any chance of direct sunlight?

As you are in India, where one gets a vast amount of sun, plus temperatures over 50F you might want to think about the "Greenhouse" effect of the glass.

Having work in all over the Middle East & Africa, I do remember large sub-stations having A/C which made it just about tolerable to work in. Now replace the wall with glass... think about the A/C units you would need to keep the sub-station at a temp suitable for workers & equipment if this substation is susceptible to direct sunlight.

Then what about physical expansion of the sub-station or changes to equipment and/or cables, the entry of cables, etc. I know it's usual to have ALL cables fed thru cable ducts underground... but what happens if you need to run cable thru the wall, which I've seen happen may times.

Here's an idea.. re-locate the substation or build your sub-station out of concrete to the required safety specs and wall thickness, THEN front it with glass if its to be a "show case" building on the sides that will be on view. The inside will be a normal temp for worker and equipment, the outside will be a shiny and glass show building.

Everyone wins

Which walls are being constructed out of Glass? Just outside walls? then go for it, provided you keep safety of pedestrians in mind that may be passing by the sub station. I f you get a fault in the substation, will the glass be able to contain the explosion, or will it blow the wall out taking innocent by standers with it?

as mentioned before how will you manage cooling, ventilation, cable entry, future modifications, adds and changes?

If the substation is within a larger facility, you may need to provide a fire rating, that cannot be achieved with glass.

What is the benefit of using glass in a coal handling facility? In that environment the glass will be grimy and dusty for most of the time, unless you got a 24/7 window washing crew on standby.

Also, my experience is that when you attempt this type of "first design" you are guaranteed to overlook something, and glass is pretty unforgiving if it comes to modifications after the fact.

As others have said, if you can afford it, go for it. Just think carefully about hte implications.

The points you raise are political in nature. I do not want to seem politically or socially insensitive, but this forum is technical in nature. Who pays for what is not for this forum to answer.

Hear, Hear.. GA from me!! You are VERY correct!

Let's look at it as a glass wall.

We can both see what we're both looking at. But do you see what I'm supposing you think you're seeing.

Apart from all the points already mentioned, you should also consider that since the walls will be of glass, due presence of High Voltage( 11Kv ), static charges may accumulate on the inside glass surface of the substation walls. If it is not properly discarge with suitable device, human may get electric shock when touches by bare hand standing on bare floor due capacitance effects.

Really? I've never heard of something like that happening (on walls around a substation). Does it happen for concrete walls?

For that to happen current has to flow, albeit very small current, but glass is an insulator.

Surface contamination could however contribute to such an effect, however that will occur regardless of the wall material....

I see no technical problems with glass walls.